Shark Conservation
The idea that sharks might be the focus of efforts to support their conservation didn’t take hold in Europe until the late 1980s.
Bob Earll was heavily involved with the MCS Basking Shark project in the late 1980’s and early 1990s. During this time he and Sarah Fowler worked on the promotion of shark and ray conservation in the UK and Europe lead to both the development of the Shark Trust and European Elasmobranch Association.
Basking Sharks
In 1986 the Marine Conservation Society became involved with a major campaign on basking shark conservation. The aim of this was to get the basking shark on to Schedule 5 of protected species in UK under the Wildlife & Countryside Act. In addition to ongoing lobbying the Society set up Basking Shark Watch based on its extensive experience of marine citizen science projects; this was initially lead by the MCS conservation officer Paul Horsman. Basking Shark Watch was a tremendous success in terms of collecting observations on the distribution and behaviour of this species about which we knew very little, as well as raising the profile of the need for its conservation. Bob Earll continued this work from 1988 providing the impetus for promoting and running the first multi-agency meeting on the need for an effective scientific programme. He was the author of a number of key papers on basking sharks during this period. The work on basking sharks lead to wider engagement on the need for shark conservation in general.
Shark Conservation
The work on basking sharks lead to wider engagement on the need for shark conservation in general. Bob organised the first two meetings of shark experts in the UK in the early 1990s including a wide range of stakeholders from conservation, research, angling and commercial fishing interests. These meetings highlighted the fundamental issues of shark conservation and management and the need for organisations to focus on elasmobranchs. Bob worked closely with Sarah Fowler who had become secretary to the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. These meetings lead to the creation of the UK’s Shark Trust (founded in 1997) and the European Elasmobranch Association (1996). Bob is currently a Patron of the Shark Trust and has helped Shark Trust often since its inception.
Image: Basking shark in Shetland – Rich Price
The idea that sharks might be the focus of efforts to support their conservation didn’t take hold in Europe until the late 1980s.
Bob Earll was heavily involved with the MCS Basking Shark project in the late 1980’s and early 1990s. During this time he and Sarah Fowler worked on the promotion of shark and ray conservation in the UK and Europe lead to both the development of the Shark Trust and European Elasmobranch Association.
Basking Sharks
In 1986 the Marine Conservation Society became involved with a major campaign on basking shark conservation. The aim of this was to get the basking shark on to Schedule 5 of protected species in UK under the Wildlife & Countryside Act. In addition to ongoing lobbying the Society set up Basking Shark Watch based on its extensive experience of marine citizen science projects; this was initially lead by the MCS conservation officer Paul Horsman. Basking Shark Watch was a tremendous success in terms of collecting observations on the distribution and behaviour of this species about which we knew very little, as well as raising the profile of the need for its conservation. Bob Earll continued this work from 1988 providing the impetus for promoting and running the first multi-agency meeting on the need for an effective scientific programme. He was the author of a number of key papers on basking sharks during this period. The work on basking sharks lead to wider engagement on the need for shark conservation in general.
Shark Conservation
The work on basking sharks lead to wider engagement on the need for shark conservation in general. Bob organised the first two meetings of shark experts in the UK in the early 1990s including a wide range of stakeholders from conservation, research, angling and commercial fishing interests. These meetings highlighted the fundamental issues of shark conservation and management and the need for organisations to focus on elasmobranchs. Bob worked closely with Sarah Fowler who had become secretary to the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. These meetings lead to the creation of the UK’s Shark Trust (founded in 1997) and the European Elasmobranch Association (1996). Bob is currently a Patron of the Shark Trust and has helped Shark Trust often since its inception.
Image: Basking shark in Shetland – Rich Price